Stamp-affixing machine.



P. R. ALLEN.

' STAMP APPIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1911. 1,124,57.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

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F. R. ALLEN.

STAMP APFIXIN G MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13,1911.

1,124,57'?. Patented Jan. 12,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNrTED srATEs PATENT ormoni. g

FREI) B. ALLEN, F PBQVIDENCE, RHDE ISLAND, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

' T0 NATIONAL ENVELOPE SEALING & STAMPING MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS, ORGANIZED IN 1912. l

STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern.'

|Be it known that I, FRED R. zenof the United States, and resident of Providence, in the county of Providence'and. State of Rhode Island, have invented cer'- tain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Aixing lMachines, of whichthe 4followingis a specification.

tion o improvements. Fig. is a. ont elevation This. invention relates to machines forl thorized person seeking to remove stamps for use elsewhere. I y

Other objects are to provide an improved structurefof the casing which will enable access to be readily had to the interior; to provide\an improved strip bed having guides for the edges of the strip; to provide an automatic clamp v-to prevent retreat of the strip toward the roll o r coil; to provide an improved structure of knife to render its manufacture more economical; and to provide a support for the applying end of the moistenin Wick so as to automatically adapt itself to various thicknesses of mail matter passed beneath it.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1- re resents a longitudinal vertical secl) a machine embodyin my present f of the. same, omitting the upper-portioinpf the. Casing-and plunger Figis 'a detail sectional .view vthrough thel portion of the casing which supports the coil or` roll ofv stamps. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the strip bed and the holder therefor respectively. Fig. 6- isva perspective viewof the two members shown 1n Figs. 4-

and 5 assembled, and showing also the mem- Specloation of Letters Patent.V

ALIEN, a citi- Patented Jan. 12, 1.915.

Application led March 18,1911.. Serial No. 614,097.

bers which coperate in efectin the feed of the strip. Fig. 7- is a detai side view of the lever of the automatic locking mechamanually operated catch or the lever shown 11 11 of Fig. 1o.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all of the views. e' y The frame of theI machine comprises a base 15, sides 16 and a removable top section 17, the latter having dowels 18 fitting holes rin the sides of the frame and 'in Athe top` 19 v of the plunger guide 20. The casing 2l lfor the coil or rollof stamps is pivoted as at 22 to the sides of the frame, and has a catch lever 23 ivoted to it at 24, the tip of the catch 23 ing adapted to engage a keeper 25 projecting from one of the sides 16. vA key hole 26 1s formed in one of the. sides of the coil .casing 21 so that when a key of proper shape 1s inserted through said hole and rotated to bear upon the two surfaces of the short end of the catch, the longer end will be released from said keeper so that the coil casin can be swung outwardly for removal or lnsertion of a coil. The latter may 'be mounted upon a in 63 suitably support-l edinvthecasing. en the coil caslng 21 is swung outwardly, the adjacent end of the top section 17 may be lifted and the said section removed so as to expose the interior mechanism. When the section 17' is replaced,- and the casing 21 locked in position, the upper edge of the said casing 21 pre` vents the top section 17 from being removed.

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The strip bed 27 (see Fig. 4 in connection with Figs. 1, 5 and 6) has its upper surface preferably longitudinally, gigirooved,v It is seylneans ofscrews passing throu h holesj .29 inthe V'holder and tapped into t el undersidel of the bed 27.

The sides of the holder extend up pastv the side edges of the bed 27 and is formed with inwardly turned flanges 30 which are slightly s aced above the u per surface of the bed 2%, as indicated in ig. 6, so that the edges of the strip of stamps a or other similar 65 1. Fig. 11- represents asection on line said flanges so as to bridge the space between the entrance end of said flanges to prevent the strip, as it leaves the coil or roll, yfrom buckling up along the middle.

The holder is provided with lugs 32 which support a'rod 33 on which a detent 34 is pivotally mounted, said detent having a round- .ed lower edge adapted to bite the strip b etween it and the surface of the bed 27 -at a point sulliciently in advance of a direct vertical line below the pivot of the detent to enable the strip to be fed forwardly, the detent yielding, but preventing the strip from moving in the other direction toward the coil. T-o keep the detent in proper position to operate as described I preferably employ a spring 35 connected to it at one end and connected at its other end to a relatively stationary member. A lever 36 is mounted on the pivot rod 33 and has a downwardly extending toe l37 adapted to forcibly pinch the strip against the bed 27 when in one po` sition, but leaving the strip freel when the lever is actuated as presently described. Said lever is formed with an inclined surface or cam 38 and beyond said cam it 'is formed with substantially a horizontal straight portion39 (see Fig. 7). Preferably the lever 36 is held normally in the position indicated in Fig. 6 by a suitable spring. In the present structure the same spring 35 V.which acts upon the detent 34, is also connected to the lever 36 as indicated in Fig. 6. To lock the lever 36 in .position so that its toe 37 will bite the strip, I employ a ratchet or lock member comprising a. base 40 secured to the under surface of the'holder 28, as by means of a screw 45 passing through a holef41- said base. This catch or lock member is formed with an upright 42 having an end 43 bent inwardly over one of the ianges 30 f the holder 282i The base 41 is also provided with a toe 44 adapted to engage the end of the bed holder 28 to limit outward movement of the catch or lock device, such outward movement carrying the end 43 away from position closing the tip of the lever 36 as indicatedv in Fig. 6. But when` the catch or lock device is swung on its pivot o that the end 43 will overlie the lever 36, as indicated in Fig. 1, then the lever 36 cannot be shifted from position with its toe 37 clamping the strip to the bed and thereby preventing unauthorized withdrawal of the strip a. This levei` cooperates in also locking all of the mechanism against operation as will be hereinafter described. p

A feed arm 46 is pivotally connected as at 47 to one side of the frame 'and carries a transverse rod 48 on which fingers 49 are pivotally mounted, said fingers being constructed substantially the same as 1n my 1910, 4,and operating in substantially the same manner, the tips yof said lingers being adapted to'engage theperforations between the stampsin the strip, under the influence of springs 50. rThe arm 46 also carries-a pin or roll 51 the purpose of which will be presently described. The plunger 52 having a suitable head, and having a foot 53 connected `to it, is mounted to slide vertically `in the frame substantially as in .my former application referred to, said foot having an elastic pad 54' which. operates vertically within a box or guard 55.

Mounted in the sidewalls of the casing is a rock shaft 56 having anl arm 57 operatively connected with the plunger 52 and having a lower arm 58. The rock shaft and its two arms collectively constitute the operating lever which transmits motion from the plunger to the other interior portions of the machine. The arm 58 is formed with a slot one portion 59 of which is curved concentric with the axis of the rock shaft 56, this curved or arc slot connecting at one end with a slot 60 which is substantially radial to the axis of the rock shaft 5'6. Normally, when the plunger is raised, thepin 51 of the said arm 46 rests in the radial slot portion 60, this position of the parts being yieldably held by means of a spring 61 connecting the arm 58 with a lug 62 ofthe base' or frame. It Will now be understood that when the plunger is depressed so as to swing the arm 58 from the full line position to the dotted line position of Fig. l, the portion 6() of they slot will act upon the pin 51 of feed arm 46 to carry the fingers 49 toward the, coil or roll to engage the next row of holes in the stamp strip. The plunger, however, must be free to continue to move downwardly after the feed arm has been Icarried baclrw'ardly as described so as to effect the farther. The said arm 46 will still be heldy in its retracted position until after the arm 58 lhas returned to bring the angle of the the upper wall of the slot portion 59 riding along above thevpin 5l. In other words, so

long as the pin 51 is in the curved portion 59 cutting ofi' and aiiixing of the stamp which l two slotted portions tothe pin 51, out to y of the slot of arm 58, the said arm 46 Willbe held in the position indicated by dotted lines 1n Fig. 1. But when the arm 58 returns toward normal position far enoughl so that the right hand wall of the slot portion 60 in Fig. 1 will engage the pin 51, the said right hand edge vwill so act'lipon the pin 51 as to positively` carry the said arm 4 6 forward to feed the strip the required distance and.`

ready to be cut off. as is-presently described in the next operation of the plunger. A suitable counter 64 having an arm* 65I is shown as connected by a link 66 with the arm 46 to register the number of operations of the machine.

My improved-knife or cutting mechanism comprises a back memberr best indicated in Fig. 9, said back member comprising an upper plate 67 and a lower plate 68 which may be connected bysuitable dowels indicated at 69. The lowerI plate 68 is supported at its ends upon two edge portions of the side walls of the base, as indicated in Fig. 1, andthe upper plate 67 may be secured to suitable lugs projecting inwardly from the side walls .of the casing by means of :screws passed through holes 78. The lower plate 68 is formed with a recess'70 so that when the two plates are fitted together, as shown in Fig. 9, said recess 70 forms an aperture through which the strip by the feed devices. referably the lower plate 68 is'undercut as best indicated in Fig.v

1 'so' as to form a lip with which the knife 71, attached to the foot 53, may coperate in severing the strip. This structure of the back wall or member of the severing mechanism, in two plates or bars as described,`

enables the sameto be made economically since only the |lower plate68 needs to be made of hard steel, or other suitable metal. Andthe aperture for the stamps can be more readily formed by cutting away the edge of a piece such as the plate 68,'bfore assembling it with the plate 67, than if said aperture had to be made through ay solid piece.

4The work table or plate 72 for the envelops or'mail matter to which stamps are to be alixed has secured to it a reservoir 73,

(see Figs. 2, 10 and 11) having a. filling opening which may be closed by a plu 74. Pivotally connected to lugs rising' rom the' reservoir, is' a wide tube l76 for `the wick 77, said tube 76 having a peculiar formation as indicated in Fig. 10 so that while the wick in said. tube vextends downwardly through an opening into the reservoir which is supported at one side of the path of movement of an envelop to be moistened, the delivering end of `'said tube iis directly above the path of movement of that portion of the Venvelop which isl'to be moistened to receive a stamp. Owing to thefact that thetube 76 is free to swing so that the end-from which-the wick .protrudes may move vertically,"the free endl of said tube'will neadily yield to permit the envelop to pass underneath, no matter how thick said envelop may be.- The amount of moisture deposited upon the envelop will be practically the same whether the envelop be thick or thin because there will be no material dilference in pressure of the wick upon of stamps is passed' 'the envelop which is passed underit' in the It will now be readily understood that when the operator depresses the plunger so as to move" its foot toward an envelop which has been passed under the wick. and moistened, almost the first downward movement will cut of the stamp that is within the box 55. At the same time vthe arm 58 swings and begins to-actu'ate the feed arm 46 in a direction toward'the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. Continued movement of the plunger in a downward direction presses the cut oli' stamp upon the moistened area of the envelop beneath, the'curved portion 59 of the slot in armv58 permitting this last portion of the motion of theplungerwithout further throwing the feed armbackwardly. U on the return of the parts under influence o the spring 61, the iingers49 engage the holes in the stamp strip and project another stamp' into the box"l 55 after the plunger foothas risen abvfe the aperture 70. Everytime that the arm 46 swings rearwardly, its pin 48acting against the incline on cam 38 of lever'36, lifts the latter so as to cause the toe 37 to release 'the strip a, further rearward movement carrying the v rod 48 along the straight edge. 39 of the lever and holding said' lever in strip releasing position. course that when the machine isin opera-tion the lock device shown in Fig. 8 is swung so as not to restrict movements of the lever 36. As the feed arm 46 returns during the feeding movement of the stri the lever 36 is still held elevated so .that te to'e 37 will eX- ert no clamping pressure upon the-strip until the rod 48 passes to the position indicated in Figs. 1 and 6, when the lever 36 will immediately drop so that its toe 37 will clamp the strip. Then if it b `machineagainst operation at all, the person having the key thereto will release the catch 23 vand swing the casing 21 outwardly far 21 is again locked in position, it will be impossible to operate th machine atallbecause even the plunger cannot be depressed owing to the fact that to do so would necessarily desired to lock the v l .110

1t is to beunderstood lhere of moveibecause of. the location of the 4-pin 51 ofthe-feed .arm 46 in the slot portion-60, v

said feed arm 46 ybeing prevented from swinging backwardly because of the obstacles presented by the inclined Surface 38A rod 48.

11a overlie the, lever 36'. Then when the casing operate the arm 58, but the latter .cannot` f latingl arm having a rod extending across the bed, strip engaging fingers mountedon said rod, a\ lever having a cam portion to be acted upon by said rod "to lift the lever, and means for locking said lever.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a strip bed, of an oscil- I lating arm having a rod extending across the bed, strip engaging fingers mounted on said rod, a lever having a cam portion to be acted upon by said rod to lift the lever., and means for locking said lever, said lever having a clamping toe to press theJ strip against -v i the bed.

3. 1n a'machine of the character described, the combination with a strip bed, oan oscil- FRED R. ALLEN.

Witnesses HOWARD E.' BARLOW, E. I. OGDE'N. 

